


boon

by Romennim



Series: The Big Short [9]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, M/M, Magic, Pre-Slash, Time Travel of a sort, Visions, references to Justice League: War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-24
Updated: 2016-11-24
Packaged: 2018-09-02 00:29:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8644303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Romennim/pseuds/Romennim
Summary: Everyone knows you shouldn't accept gifts from the fairy folk, that you always regret them, but Barry has never been very good at refusing people and, most especially, grateful mothers.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt "magic" for The Big Short Challenge on Rough Trade.
> 
> Betaed by the lovely ladychild.

“No, please, I want to do something to repay you!” the woman begs, almost in tears.

Barry looks at her a bit helplessly. It’s not the first time someone has tried to thank the Flash for saving their life, but it’s the first time the person in question hasn’t accepted Barry’s kind words that there’s no need to.

“Please,” the woman goes on, clutching her child to her chest. The baby is no more than a year old and his violet eyes are a glaring sign of why he’s been kidnapped in the first place. The same eyes the kid shares with his all too beautiful mother. Barry thinks not many people can be more sickening than those dealing with human trafficking. “I couldn’t- _Please_ , really, Flash. I can’t let this debt go unpaid.”

Barry shakes his head.

“There is no debt, Miss, really.”

The woman kisses her child’s eyebrow and in a shimmering ripple the smudges under the kid’s eyes and all his scrapes are gone and the baby is smiling, snuggling against his mother. _Huh_. Maybe they are not meta-humans as he has believed at first.

“This is not my people’s way.” the woman adds, violet eyes shining an earthly bright color.

Okay, now Barry is a bit freaked out. Being owed by magical people is never a good thing in legends.

“I don’t think-” he starts, but the woman interrupts him firmly.

“You saved my child. Whatever you ask, you will be glad of the gift, I promise you. And of the consequences.”

Barry nods, still wary. He’s pretty sure he knows who he’s facing now. It explains why a magical being wouldn’t be able to get out of an iron cage and smiled in relief when he’d saved her.

“What does your heart desire, Flash?”

The question makes Barry think immediately of a certain person but Barry shakes his head. No, he used to think of Iris when he asked himself that question, but Barry knows that is no longer true. He and Iris have always been close, but completely out of sync where their hearts were concerned. Barry has loved her for so, so long. But Iris’ heart has always been elsewhere. And when she had finally reached a point where she could love him, it’s been Barry who had accepted the inevitable and moved on. Maybe on another Earth, or in another time-line, he and Iris were meant to be, but not in this one. And Barry doesn’t want to have a person just as a wish. He wants the right person for him _now_ , who could love and complete him, in a way he and Iris never had a chance to.

“Oh I see.” the woman whispers, smiling. “Is it that what you want? You have to say it out loud.”

Barry nods, shaken. If this is true… if he learns who can-

“Show me who can be my partner.”

The woman’s smile broadens.

“Oh, I can show you more than that, Flash. I can show the other half of your soul.”

And with that the world dissolves around him.

***

“Scarlet, Scarlet, hey, now it’s not the time-” the familiar sound of a gun whirring shakes Barry out of his stupor, and he feels someone plastered against his back. Chaos is all around them. A shot, then: “Scarlet, are you okay?” the person asks and in slow motion, Barry turns and finds himself looking into Snart’s goggles. The man is firing and peering back, shooting him concerned glances, mouth a thin line.

“Scarlet, you’re starting to worry me.”

Barry shakes his head and looks around. They are in Metropolis, Barry realizes, and they are under attack. Winged monsters are flying down from the sky, and Snart is shooting at them, while a man in a green glow is flying and creating transparent walls to contain and crash them. An ally, then.

Barry rushes against the ones slowly advancing from behind his and Snart’s position.

When the attack seems to be over, Barry runs back to Snart and the man’s look over him is careful and intense.

“Barry, are you okay?” the man asks, prowling closer.

Barry nods, not trusting his voice. When they are almost a breath apart, Snart cups Barry’s cheek and leans forward. Barry suspects he is about to be kissed by Captain Cold (and yes, a part of him is freaking out, but another part just wants to shout yes, yes, _yes_ ) but Snart’s forehead just touches the portion of mask above Barry’s eyes and he and Snart just breathe the same air for a few moments.

Barry doesn’t know what is happening, but he feels more at peace in this moment than he’s ever felt in his life. Maybe it’s the woman’s magic, maybe it’s because this feels just right and his heart is full of some unnameable emotion that risks bursting out, but Barry just gives into the moment and _feels_.

“Hey, lovebirds!” a voice exclaims and Barry, starting, turns to see the green-glowing guy descends near them. “Now it’s not the time to do old married couple things. We have a multidimensional war lord to stop!”

“Jordan,” Snart hisses, eyes narrowing in a menacing way Barry knows all too well.

“Hey,” the man says putting up his hands. “Not my fault your five year anniversary was ruined!”

Barry is surprised by the man’s words, but not really. He looks at Snart, at the careful way he stands, always turned towards Barry, as if a part of him is always tuned to Barry’s position, and at the scene around them. Barry is not alone in this life. A few years down the line he’s still fighting and someone is at his side, with him, doing the same.

Maybe this is not the future. Maybe it’s just an illusion. But Snart had left a few weeks ago to save the world from another megalomaniac monster. This is all the incentive Barry needs to try and make _this_ their future.


End file.
